March 19, 2010: Take an exhilarating ride through the Orion Nebula, a vast star-making factory
1,500 light-years away. Swoop through Orion's giant canyon of gas and dust.
Fly past behemoth stars whose brilliant light illuminates and energizes the
entire cloudy region. Zoom by dusty tadpole-shaped objects that are fledgling
solar systems. This virtual space journey isn't the latest video game but one of
several groundbreaking astronomy visualizations created by specialists at the
Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) in Baltimore, the science operations
center for NASA's Hubble Space Telescope.

The cinematic space odysseys are part of the new Imax film "Hubble 3D," which
opens today at select Imax theaters worldwide. The 43-minute movie chronicles
the 20-year life of Hubble and includes highlights from the May 2009 servicing
mission to the Earth-orbiting observatory, with footage taken by the astronauts.
The giant-screen film showcases some of Hubble's breathtaking iconic pictures,
such as the Eagle Nebula's "Pillars of Creation," as well as stunning views
taken by the newly installed Wide Field Camera 3.